COVID-19 How worried should I be about getting blood clots from the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines? It’s true that a few people who received these vaccines have developed blood clots, and some have died. However, this is a rare side-effect. Also, it’s important to note that COVID-19 causes blood clots (along with a lot of other nasty symptoms) when weighing the risks and benefits of receiving AstraZeneca or Janssen. If I’ve received the AstraZeneca or Janssen vaccine, how do I know if I might have a blood clot? This type of blood clot is linked to noticeable side-effects. Get immediatemedical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms: ▶▶ Shortness of breath ▶▶ Chest pain ▶▶ Swelling in the legs ▶▶ Persistent abdominal (belly) pain ▶▶ Neurological symptoms (such as severe or persistent worsening headaches or blurred vision) ▶▶ Skin bruising ▶▶ Tiny blood spots under the skin at places other than the injection site Shouldn’t they be screening women for potential blood clotting before administering the vaccine? It would not be practical to screen every woman for blood clots before getting vaccinated. The required medical tests would create delays. The Janssen vaccine is only one dose. Wouldn’t it be more effective if I received two doses instead of one? Scientists are working on this, but we don’t know yet. There is a clinical trial underway to test the effectiveness of two doses, but we will have to wait for the results before we know the answer to this question. Can I “mix and match” vaccines? Would that be more or less effective, or somehow dangerous? On June 1, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) advised that Canadians who had received the AstraZeneca vaccine for their first dose be given the option to receive theModerna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for their second dose. Recent studies in Europe suggest that combining AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech may be as effective as two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech. Other evidence shows that two doses of Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech appear to offer better protection against the Delta variant from India than two doses of AstraZeneca. We don’t yet know if a second dose of Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech will provide better protection against Delta than two doses of AstraZeneca. It is being left up to individuals to make the decision for themselves. The NACI has also stated that people who have received anmRNA vaccine may receive a different vaccine for their second dose if the original vaccine is not available. For example, if you received Pfizer-BioNTech for your first dose, you can be given Moderna for your second dose if Pfizer-BioNTech is not available at the time of your second dose. The government says to get the first shot you can, but isn’t Moderna the best? The twomRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech) have efficacy rates much higher than the viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca and Janssen). If you have a choice, it’s fine to opt for an mRNA vaccine over a viral vector vaccine. However, many or most people won’t have that choice. If you don’t have a choice as to what vaccine to receive, it’s best to get vaccinated, because even a less-effective vaccine provides protection against COVID-19. Is there anyone who shouldn’t get vaccinated for COVID-19? What about people with chronic diseases? People who have had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine (or to one of its ingredients) shouldn’t be vaccinated. For people with underlying medical conditions, vaccination can actually be more important than for healthy people, because there are many conditions which make it more likely that they would get seriously ill if infected with COVID-19. I have allergies. Should I be worried about being allergic to the COVID-19 vaccine? In most cases, the answer is “no.” If you are allergic, but the allergy is not related to vaccines, you can get vaccinated. This is true even if you are extremely allergic to non-vaccine-related triggers such as food, environmental factors or latex. However, if you have had an allergic reaction to another type of vaccine or injectable therapy, even if it was mild, you should tell your doctor. If you are allergic to polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate, this will affect the vaccine which you are able to get. PEG is an ingredient in bothmRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech); polysorbate is an ingredient in the viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca and Janssen). If you are allergic to PEG, you should avoid the mRNA vaccines. If you are allergic to polysorbate, you should not receive a viral vector vaccine. I think that my immune system is strong enough to handle COVID-19. Why should I get vaccinated? Even if you’re willing to take your chances, you could infect others if you get sick. This is especially important if anyone in your circle has a higher-than-average chance of developing a serious case of COVID-19. That group includes health-care providers, older adults and people with different medical conditions (see “What are some of the underlying conditions or other factors that make people likely to experience severe illness when infected with COVID-19?”). 42 | www.snowbirds.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx